The secretion of extracellular vesicles from cells into the extracellular environment is increasingly recognised as an important modality for mediating cell–cell communication. Extracellular vesicles are secreted from most cell types and carry biological macromolecules, including RNA, lipids and proteins. The composition of extracellular vesicles changes in physiological and pathological conditions, and roles have been described in repair and regeneration. Thus, there is high interest in deciphering the functional roles of extracellular vesicles, and their potential for therapeutic use.

In this review article, Newton et al. discuss the role of stem cell-derived exosomes in tissue repair and regeneration, and their potential use for the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Read the full article in Journal of Molecular Endocrinology doi:10.1530/JME-170080.